At the Dintrans Kindergarten, located in the town of the same name, Codelco El Teniente and the Surveillance Board of the Cachapoal River, First Section and its Tributaries closed the sixth version of the “Water Environmental Education Program.” Through 43 theoretical and practical workshops, the initiative benefited more than 200 children and representatives of the communities of Olivar and Rancagua.

This year, the program was developed in two parallel lines of action: the educational one in the Dintrans Kindergarten and the community one in the 10 de Agosto Population of Gultro. In this edition, for the first time, the collaboration of representatives of CONAF and the University of O'Higgins was counted on in educational workshops in the territory.

Robert Hilliard, manager of the Board, explained that “six years ago, we began this joint strategy, to provide knowledge about water and environmental care to the communities along the Cachapoal River. Today, we are very grateful for the work organized during this time.”

Carlos Vásquez, Community Development Supervisor at El Teniente, said: “We thank the residents for their participation in the program. This initiative fills us with pride, because it brings together the neighborhood and educational community, creating social and environmental value. This reaffirms our commitment to socio-environmental projects that actively involve the community.”

In its six versions, the program has developed more than 110 workshops that have benefited more than 1,700 people from Coya, Chacayes, Rancagua and Olivar, by promoting sustainable practices.

Educational line of the program

37 workshops were held in the garden, including the installation of bird baths and the reforestation of key areas. This work allowed progress to be made in the implementation of the environmental seal obtained by the establishment this year.

Luz González, the school's director, said that "it reinforces what we do and that it is necessary. This work is transversal because it includes the entire community. The children have become promoters of environmental care."

Community focus

In Gultro, intensive workshops focused on promoting good practices for efficient water use in homes. During the various days, they learned everything from tools for caring for water resources to techniques for reusing waste and controlled irrigation.

Leticia Alvarado, president of the neighborhood council, said that “this program was useful to us. Many people did not know how to recycle water, we lost a lot of water. The lessons learned were very beneficial.”

Meanwhile, at Gultro School, nearly 90 students from fourth to sixth grade participated in audiovisual and social media workshops. This action provided initial technical audiovisual training and promoted soft skills such as trust and teamwork.